The EPD works closely with other government departments and stakeholders to promote sustainable development and build consideration of the environment into the Hong Kong SAR's decision-making process.

Input on Major Policies and Strategies
Environmental indicators for sustainability are used to give a broad-brush assessment of major strategic proposals and policies. With input from the EPD and other concerned departments, a set of indicators was developed under the "Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century" for the government in 2001. The indicators include such things as energy consumption, biodiversity, carbon dioxide emissions and the percentage of people exposed to excess noise. They do not replace EIAs, which go into greater detail, but complement them. One major policy to be assessed is Hong Kong 2030: Planning, Vision and Strategy which will update the existing physical planning framework and guide the long-term development of Hong Kong. The indicators will be applied to other policies and strategies as determined by the Sustainable Development Unit, which the government set up in 2001.

Image of Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century: Final Environmental Baseline Report

The EPD also reviews the environmental implications paragraphs which are required in all policy submissions to the Executive Council and in submissions made to the Public Works Sub-committee of the Legislative Council for funding approval of public projects. In 2001, we reviewed 150 such submissions. These paragraphs help to integrate environmental considerations into the decision-making process.